According to Allen Susser’s The Great Mango Book, mangoes are a member of the cashew family. Of the sixteen varieties he mentions, I am only familiar with three. The only varieties I ever see at the store are Tommy Atkins and Ataulfo mangoes (aka champagne mangoes). Not surprisingly, the National Mango Board lists these as the most available varieties in the US.

Mangoes have a limited shelf life- when they’re perfect, many people seem to think they’re overripe. Luckily, this means I regularly see them on sale. Ataulfo mangoes are my latest obsession. They were on sale last week, so I used them for several fruit salads and this Fresh Mango Bread from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From my Home to Yours. It wasn’t my favorite recipe- It didn’t really highlight the fruit’s flavor and texture. Granted, I was short on mango and added some blueberries to make up the difference. I also omitted the golden raisins. The bread does have a nice caramelized crust, and it makes a good snack with a smear of salted butter. You can find a nice write-up of the recipe here.

If you have a good mango recipe on hand, let me know!